Disneyland Timeline
1901 – Walter Elias Disney born in Chicago on December 5th.
1926 – Walt and his older brother, Roy O. Disney, start Disney Brothers Studio, which later becomes
Walt Disney Productions. They debut Mickey Mouse in 1928.
1952 – Walt Disney Inc. is formed (later renamed WED Enterprises). First public mention of plans to
build Disneyland appears in the Burbank Daily Review. The City of Burbank denies Walt’s request to
build a theme park near his film studio.
1953 – Disney commissions the Stanford Research Institute to advise him on the best location for an
amusement park. Based in part on the report, Disney selects Anaheim as the site. Disney forms the
privately owned Retlaw Enterprises for projects over which he wants more personal control – such as the
trains at Disneyland.
1954 – Disney produces a TV series for ABC in order to get funds for the park project. Ground is broken
for Disneyland, and excavation begins.
1955 – Disneyland opens for press and special guests on July 17th, 28,154 attend. Millions more watch the
"Dateline: Disneyland" special on ABC. The following day, Disneyland opens to the public at $1 for
general admission and 10 to 35 cents for each attraction ticket. The millionth guest visits the park in early
September. The Disneyland Hotel opens in October.
1956 – New attractions include Tom Sawyer's Island and the Skyway (removed in 1994).
1957 – New attractions include Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks and Monsanto’s Plastics Home of the
Future.
1958 – The Magic Kingdom Club is founded, and the first holiday Candlelight Procession is held.
1959 – Three new attractions become Disneyland’s first E-ticket rides: The Matterhorn Bobsleds, the
Disneyland-Alweg Monorail, and the Submarine Voyage.
1960 – Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland debuts.
1961 – Monorail track is extended to the Disneyland Hotel as the Mark II monorails debut. Grad Night is
held for the first time at Disneyland.
1963 – The Enchanted Tiki Room opens, and the term “audio-animatronics” is coined.
1964 – Disney designs numerous attractions for the New York World's Fair. Several of them are later
moved to Disneyland, including "it's a small world" (1966), the Carousel of Progress (1967), and Great
Moments with Mr. Lincoln (1965).
1965 – Walt Disney dies of cancer on Dec. 15, 1966.
1966 – New Orleans Square opens.
1967 – Pirates of the Caribbean opens. A revamped Tomorrowland also opens, including the
PeopleMover (removed in 1997) and Adventure Thru Inner Space (removed in 1985).
Club 33, hidden above New Orleans Square, opens to a select group of members.
1969 – The Haunted Mansion opens.
1971 – Walt’s brother and business partner, Roy O. Disney, dies. The 100 millionth guest visits
Disneyland on June 17.
1972 – New attractions include the Country Bear Jamboree and the Main Street Electrical Parade. Bear
Country becomes the park’s newest “land.” It was renamed Critter Country in 1988.
1974 – The Carousel of Progress is replaced by America Sings (removed 1988).
1978 – Matterhorn Bobsled ride is enhanced with ice caverns and an abominable snowman.
1979 – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opens.
1982 – Unlimited use passports replace ticket books.
1983 – Newly redesigned Fantasyland opens.
1986 – The Golden Horseshoe Revue closes after the world’s longest continuous run of any live stage
show. The Golden Horseshoe Jamboree replaces it.
1987 – New attractions include Star Tours and the Disney Gallery.
1988 – Disney buys the Wrather Corporation, owner of Disneyland Hotel.
1989 – Splash Mountain opens.
1991 – Disney announces plans for a second Anaheim theme park. It is originally envisioned as a smaller
version of Epcot Center, with the working title “Westcot.”
1992 – Fantasmic! show debuts on the Rivers of America.
1993 – Mickey’s Toontown becomes the newest “land.”
1995 – The Indiana Jones Adventure opens. Disney purchases the Pan Pacific Hotel.
1996 – The proposed Westcot theme park is officially scrapped in favor of Disney’s California
Adventure. The new Frank Gehry-designed Team Disney building unites all of Disneyland’s
administrative and creative employees under one roof.
1998 – A remodeled Tomorrowland debuts with some new attractions. The original Disneyland parking
lot closes to make way for Disney’s California Adventure.
1999 – FastPass system is tested on four attractions, allowing guests to schedule ride times rather than
wait in long lines.
2000 – Disneyland restricts smoking inside the park to three small designated areas.
2001 – Disney’s California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel open to
the public.
2004 – Tower of Terror opens at Disney’s California Adventure.
2005 – The park celebrates its 50th anniversary. Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters ride opens.